The production and development of plants and plant products for agricultural use are important concerns for the growing world. As plant products are utilized not only as human foods but also as animal feeds and as fuels, and given that the worldwide human population has been estimated to exceed 9 billion people by the year 2050, the necessity to increase the efficiency and productivity of agricultural processes is more important than ever.
Modern agriculture has developed a number of processes to assist with increasing productivity of plants and plant products. For example, the use of improved mechanization, advanced fertilizers, and high-quality hybrid seeds can all contribute to increasing productivity by improving the yield of plants grown per unit of land. However, despite these advances, new solutions to solve the problems of producing and developing plant products are still needed to further improve agricultural productivity.
Accordingly, the present disclosure provides compositions and methods comprising ligands that exhibit desirable properties and provide related advantages for improving agricultural productivity.
The compositions and methods utilizing compositions comprising a ligand according to the present disclosure provide several advantages compared to other methods known in the art. First, the compositions comprising a ligand are effective to increase yield of a plant (e.g., number of bushels) produced per acre of land. Second, the compositions comprising a ligand are able to employ existing micronutrients in the soil that are typically underutilized by plants. It is believed that the compositions comprising a ligand are able to chelate with the existing micronutrients, allowing the micronutrients to be available for uptake by the plants.
Third, the compositions are able to chelate micronutrients in a fertilizer formulation that are typically not able to be fully chelated, thus improving the availability of the micronutrients for plant uptake. For example, the fertilizer formulation can be a tank mixed formulation that can be easily employed for utilization by the end user.
Fourth, by chelating with micronutrients in the soil or in fertilizer formulations, the compositions prevent the micronutrients from interacting with phosphorus, thereby indirectly increasing the availability of phosphorus to plants. Furthermore, the micronutrients are able to more efficiently enter the plant and are transported to the cellular level, thus assuring their availability to the plant cells.
The following numbered embodiments are contemplated and are non-limiting:
1. A composition comprising a ligand and a fertilizer.
2. The composition of clause 1 wherein the composition is substantially free of iron.
3. The composition of clause 1 or clause 2 wherein the composition is substantially free of a metal.
4. The composition of clause 3 wherein the ligand is a metal chelating agent.
5. The composition of clause 3 wherein the metal is iron.
6. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 5 wherein the ligand is non-chelated.
7. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 6 wherein the ligand is substantially free of a metal.
8. The composition of clause 7 wherein the ligand is a metal chelating agent.
9. The composition of clause 8 wherein the metal is iron.
10. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 9 wherein the ligand is of the formula
or a salt thereof,wherein
Ra is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of H, —CH2CO2H or a salt thereof, and —CH2CH2OH;
Rb is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of —CH2CH2OH, —CH2CO2H, or a salt thereof, and

wherein the asterisk indicates the point of attachment, X is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of H, —CO2H, or a salt thereof, and —CH2OH;
RAr represents from 0 to 2 substituents independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of F, Cl, —OH, —NH2, —CH3, —CN, —CO2H, or a salt thereof, —C(O)NH2, —SO3H, or a salt thereof, —SO2NH2, —PO3H2, or a salt thereof, and OR1, where R1 is C1-C4 alkyl; and
the ligand includes two or more carboxylic acid groups other than RAr.
11. The composition of clause 10 wherein each Ra is identical and each Rb is identical.
12. The composition of clause 10 or 11 wherein Ra is not identical to W.
13. The composition of clause 10 or 11 wherein Ra is identical to Rb.
14. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 13 wherein the ligand is ethylenediamine-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (EDDHA).
15. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 14 wherein the ligand is ortho-ortho EDDHA.
16. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 15 wherein the composition further comprises zinc.
17. The composition of clause 16 wherein the zinc is chelated zinc. 18. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 17 wherein the composition further comprises a herbicide.
19. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 18 wherein the composition further comprises a water conditioning agent.
20. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 19 wherein the composition further comprises a micronutrient product.
21. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 20 wherein the fertilizer is an ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer.
22. The composition of clause 21 wherein the ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer is ammonium polyphosphate 10-34-0 fertilizer.
23. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 22 wherein the herbicide is glyphosate.
24. A composition consisting essentially of a ligand and a fertilizer.
25. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 24 wherein the ligand is non-chelated.
26. The composition of any of clauses 1 to 25 wherein the fertilizer is an ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer.
27. The composition of clause 26 wherein the ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer is ammonium polyphosphate 10-34-0 fertilizer.
28. A method of growing a plant, said method comprising the step of contacting the plant with a composition comprising a ligand.
29. The method of clause 28 wherein the yield of the plant is improved via contacting the plant with the composition.
30. The method of clause 28 or clause 29 wherein the composition is substantially free of iron.
31. The method of any of clauses 28 to 30 wherein the composition is substantially free of a metal.
32. The method of any of clauses 28 to 31 wherein the ligand is a metal chelating agent.
33. The method of clause 32 wherein the metal is iron.
34. The method of any of clauses 28 to 33 wherein the ligand is non-chelated.
35. The method of any of clauses 28 to 34 wherein the ligand is substantially free of a metal.
36. The method of clause 35 wherein the ligand is a metal chelating agent.
37. The method of clause 36 wherein the metal is iron.
38. The method of any of clauses 28 to 37 wherein the ligand is of the formula
or a salt thereof,wherein
Ra is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of H, —CH2CO2H or a salt thereof, and —CH2CH2OH;
Rb is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of —CH2CH2OH, —CH2CO2H, or a salt thereof, and

wherein the asterisk indicates the point of attachment, X is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of H, —CO2H, or a salt thereof, and —CH2OH;
RAr represents from 0 to 2 substituents independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of F, Cl, —OH, —NH2, —CH3, —CN, —CO2H, or a salt thereof, —C(O)NH2, —SO3H, or a salt thereof, —SO2NH2, —PO3H2, or a salt thereof, and OR1, where R1 is C1-C4 alkyl; and
the ligand includes two or more carboxylic acid groups other than RAr.
39. The method of clause 38 wherein each Ra is identical and each Rb is identical.
40. The method of clause 38 or 39 wherein Ra is not identical to Rb.
41. The method of clause 38 or 39 wherein Ra is identical to Rb.
42. The method of any of clauses 28 to 41 wherein the ligand is ethylenediamine-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (EDDHA).
43. The method of any of clauses 28 to 42 wherein the ligand is ortho-ortho EDDHA.
44. The method of any of clauses 28 to 43 wherein the ligand is non-chelated.
45. The method of any of clauses 28 to 44 wherein the composition further comprises a fertilizer.
46. The method of any of clauses 28 to 45 wherein the composition further comprises zinc.
47. The method of clause 46 wherein the zinc is chelated zinc.
48. The method of any of clauses 28 to 47 wherein the composition further comprises a herbicide.
49. The method of any of clauses 28 to 48 wherein the composition further comprises a water conditioning agent.
50. The method of any of clauses 28 to 49 wherein the composition further comprises a micronutrient product.
51. The method of any of clauses 28 to 50 wherein the composition consists essentially of the ligand and the fertilizer.
52. The method of any of clauses 28 to 51 wherein the fertilizer is an ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer.
53. The method of clause 52 wherein the ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer is ammonium polyphosphate 10-34-0 fertilizer.
54. The method of any of clauses 28 to 53 wherein the herbicide is glyphosate.
55. The method of any of clauses 28 to 54 wherein the plant is a seed.
56. The method of any of clauses 28 to 55 wherein the plant is corn.
57. The method of any of clauses 28 to 55 wherein the plant is soybean.
58. A kit comprising a ligand and instructions for combining the ligand with a fertilizer.
59. The kit of clause 58 wherein the ligand is non-chelated.
60. The kit of clause 58 or clause 59 wherein the ligand is substantially free of a metal.
61. The kit of clause 60 wherein the ligand is a metal chelating agent.
62. The kit of clause 60 wherein the metal is iron.
63. The kit of any of clauses 58 to 62 wherein the ligand is of the formula
or a salt thereof,wherein
Ra is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of H, —CH2CO2H or a salt thereof, and —CH2CH2OH;
Rb is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of —CH2CH2OH, —CH2CO2H, or a salt thereof, and

wherein the asterisk indicates the point of attachment, X is independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of H, —CO2H, or a salt thereof, and —CH2OH;
RAr represents from 0 to 2 substituents independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of F, Cl, —OH, —NH2, —CH3, —CN, —CO2H, or a salt thereof, —C(O)NH2, —SO3H, or a salt thereof, —SO2NH2, —PO3H2, or a salt thereof, and OR1, where R1 is C1-C4 alkyl; and the ligand includes two or more carboxylic acid groups other than RAr.
64. The kit of clause 63 wherein each Ra is identical and each Rb is identical.
65. The kit of clause 63 or 64 wherein Ra is not identical to Rb.
66. The kit of clause 63 or 64 wherein Ra is identical to Rb.
67. The kit of any of clauses 58 to 66 wherein the ligand is ethylenediamine-N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenylacetic acid) (EDDHA).
68. The kit of any of clauses 58 to 67 wherein the ligand is ortho-ortho EDDHA.
69. The kit of any of the above clauses wherein the composition further comprises zinc.
70. The kit of clause 69 wherein the zinc is chelated zinc.
71. The kit of any of clauses 58 to 70 wherein the composition further comprises a herbicide.
72. The kit of any of clauses 58 to 71 wherein the composition further comprises a water conditioning agent.
73. The kit of any of clauses 58 to 72 wherein the composition further comprises a micronutrient product.
74. The kit of any of clauses 58 to 73 wherein the fertilizer is an ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer.
75. The kit of clause 74 wherein the ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer is ammonium polyphosphate 10-34-0 fertilizer.
76. The kit of any of clauses 58 to 75 wherein the herbicide is glyphosate.